Greenland and Denmark have dismissed a proposal by United States President, Donald Trump, to deploy an American hospital ship to the Arctic territory, saying there is no need for such assistance.
Trump announced the plan Saturday on his Truth Social platform, stating that a medical vessel would be dispatched to “take care of the many people who are sick and not being taken care of there.”
His post featured an image of the USNS Mercy, one of the United States’ two hospital ships, sailing toward Greenland with red crosses displayed along its hull and a large American flag flying overhead.
Greenland Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, responded by expressing appreciation for the gesture but rejecting the necessity of the deployment, emphasizing that Greenland already provides universal healthcare.
“We have learned that President Trump wants to send an American hospital ship to Greenland. But here in our country, we already have a healthcare system that everyone can use for free,” he said in a statement on Facebook.
“That wasn’t decided for no reason. It is extremely important to society. In the U.S., it isn’t like that, because going to the doctor is extremely expensive.”
Nielsen said Greenland remains open to cooperation with the United States but criticized the president’s approach to announcing policy initiatives online.
“So please, if you want to talk with us, stop writing random things on social media,” he said.
“If there are to be talks and cooperation, then the decision we make here in our country must be fully respected.”
Denmark’s Defense Minister, Troels Lund Poulsen, told public broadcaster DR that Copenhagen had not been informed in advance and maintained there was “no need for special healthcare efforts.”
“It is so important to say that the Greenlandic population of course receives the necessary health treatment,” Poulsen said, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also underscored Denmark’s healthcare model in a statement.
“I’m happy to live in a country where everyone has free and equal access to healthcare — where it isn’t insurance and wealth that decide whether you receive proper treatment. Greenland has the same approach.”
The proposal comes against a backdrop of renewed tensions over Greenland’s status.
Since returning to office in January 2025, Trump has revived calls for the United States to take control of the Danish territory, arguing that doing so would serve American national security interests.
He has not ruled out the possibility of military action.
Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, a NATO member and long-standing U.S. ally.
The island hosts the American Pituffik Space Base, and officials from both Greenland and Denmark have indicated openness to further defense cooperation.
Trump’s push to acquire Greenland has strained relations between Washington and several European allies.
Greenland’s Minister for Health and Persons with Disabilities, Anna Wangenheim, said she had not engaged with U.S. authorities regarding the proposed hospital ship. While acknowledging that Greenland faces “a significant backlog” in healthcare services, she noted that an agreement with Denmark is in place to strengthen the system.
“When President Donald Trump announces the idea of sending a hospital ship to Greenland, it touches a sensitive nerve. Many citizens have experienced that serious illness means long and difficult journeys away from family and home,” she said.
“But structural challenges are not solved by isolated, symbolic initiatives from the outside.”
On Saturday, Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command confirmed that it evacuated a crew member in need of urgent care from a U.S. submarine operating roughly seven miles off Nuuk. A Seahawk helicopter from Denmark’s Ministry of Defense transported the individual to medical facilities in Greenland’s capital.
Wangenheim later said Trump is “welcome” to observe Greenland’s healthcare system in coordination with Denmark.
“It demonstrates that, despite vast distances, we can deliver a strong emergency response when it truly matters,” she said.
Trump’s announcement followed a meeting with Jeff Landry, the governor of Louisiana and his appointed envoy to Greenland. Landry criticized Nielsen’s rejection of the ship, claiming healthcare concerns were frequently raised by Greenland residents.
“A healthy Greenland is vital for America’s national security,” he wrote on X.
“America is committed to defending Greenland, and that begins by ensuring its people are defended against basic illnesses and ailments.”
The U.S. Navy’s two hospital ships are currently undergoing work at a shipyard in Alabama.
